Feed roll mechanism



Nov. 1, 1966 .J. c, MORRIS ETAL FEED ROLL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 1964 INVENTORS. fa /v c. Mame/5 was 5. r A/vama ATTORNEY 1956 J. c. MORRIS ETAL 3,282,390

FEED ROLL MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent F 3,282,390 FEED ROLL MECHANISM John C. Morris, East Nor-walk, and Nels E. Tranberg, Fairfield, Conm, assignors to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 335,179 7 Claims. (Cl. 197138) This invention relates to feed roll mechanisms for business machines, and the like, and more particularly to structure supporting the feed rolls of such feed roll mechanisms for cooperation with the platen of the business machine.

The great majority of business machines, such as typewriters, calculators, etc., are provided with a platen which cooperates with the character bearing instrumentalities of the business machine to effect printing there-of upon a worksheet, or amanifold of worksheets and interleaved carbons, supported in juxtaposition to said platen. Such worksheet, or manifold, is usually placed in juxtaposition with and transported about "said platen by the use of at least one feed roll mechanism and most of the time by a plurality of feed roll mechanisms arranged with their axes of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the platen, and with their surfaces resiliently biased into contact with the surface of the platen. As the platen is rotated, by appropriate mechanism, the feed roll or feed rolls in contact therewith also rotate and the worksheet or manifold is gripped between the platen and feed rolls and fed thereby along a predetermined path in juxtaposition with the platen.

In most instances necessities of business require that the platen be short in axial dimensi-on while at other times platens of extended axial dimension are required. As the axial dimension of the platen increases so must the axial dimension of the feed roll mechanism. However, as the axial dimension of the feed roll mechanism in creases surface irregularities in the feed rolls thereof and wanpage and bending of the feed rolls thereof become more prevalent. Such feed rolls, moreover, are usually (resiliently supported at only their ends and the pressures established between the surfaces thereof and the surface of the platen, more often than not, are unequally distributed along the axial length of the feed roll. it the warp, bend, or surface irregularity, is of sufiicient magnitude there may even be locations where the feed roll surface is spaced from the surface of the platen and there will if such space is large enough be no pressure applied upon a worksheet or manifold at such locations. Unequal pressure may result in only slippage of the worksheet or a skewed feed of the worksheet but lack of pressure quite often results in such poor or irregular feed of the worksheet that wrinkles develop therein and the worksheet may need to be replaced and the work therein redone.

To avoid the slippage and wrinkling of the worksheet some business machines have reverted to the use of plural feed roll-s each of short length and all arranged on a coaxial line, with resilient supports at each end of each roll. Such support structure is complex and expensive and requires that some space be left between the adjacent feed rolls. A worksheet, or manifold, fed between such an arrangement of feed rolls and the platen cooperating therewith will have no pressure applied thereon at the 10- cations where said spaces appear and therefore slippage and wrinkling will still occur. Other business machines individual roll so that one or more supports may be inserted intermediate the ends of the single shaft; each such support located so as toenter into a narrow space and resiliently bear against the shaft thereat. Here again, a

3,282,39fl Patented Nov. 1, 1966 worksheet fed between such a feed roll and the platen cooperating therewith will have no pressure applied thereon at the locations where said narrow spaces appear and even though the spaces are narrow wrinkling is still prevalent.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved feed rol-l mechanism for cooperation with the platen of a business machine and the like.

Another object is to provide an improved feed roll mechanism for cooperation with the platen of a business machine, and the like utilizing a single feed roll having a surface in uninterrupted engagement with the surface of the platen along a line running substantially the entire axial length of the platen.

Yet another object is to provide an improved feed roll mechanism for cooperation with the platen of a business machine, and the like utilizing a single feed roll having a surface in uninterrupted engagement with the surface of the platen along a line of contact running substantially the entire axial length of the platen, and including mounting means resiliently urging such feed roll against the platen with a pressure distributed in a substantially uniform manner along said entire line of contact.

A still further object is to provide an improved feed roll mechanism for cooperation with the platen of a business machine or the like utilizing a single feed roll having an uninterrupted surface with an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of the platen, and including mounting means at and intermediate the ends of such feed roll resiliently urging such feed roll into engagement with the surface of the platen along an uninterrupted line of contact and with a pressure distributed in a substantially uniform manner along said entire line of contact.

This invention involves feed roll mechanisms mounting feed rolls with their axes of rotation parallel to the construct the feed roll with a single shaft having plural I feed rolls thereon with only a narrow space between each axis of rotation of a platen of a business machine, or the like, and with their surfaces coacting with the surface of the business machine platen to feed a worksheet, or manifold of Worksheets and interleaved carbons, about said platen, and contemplates providing at least one feed roll mechanism constructed and disposed so as to apply a pressure against such platen in. a substantially uniform and uninterrupted manner across the entire line of coaction of feed roll and platen.

In carrying out the invention, according to a preferred embodiment, the feed roll mechanism is constructed to utilize a feed roll formed with a continuous and uninterrupted surface and having an axial dimension substantially equal to that of the business machine platen. A support is disposed near each end of the feed roll rotatably mounting same and resiliently urging same against the platen. At least one other support is disposed intermediate the ends of the feed roll resiliently urging same against the platen. Said end and intermediate supports coact to establish a substantially uniform pressure between the feed roll and platen along the entire line of contact of one with the other.

Features and advantages of the invention will be seen from the above from the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered in conjunction with the drawings and from the claims.

Re the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a business machine platen carriage cut away in part to show a feed roll mechanism embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the carriage of FIG. 1 with the platen and part of the roll removed to show details of the feed roll mounting structure;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through the platen and feed roll on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1, but showing another embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of part of FIG. 5 with the platen and feed rolls removed; and

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6 and through the platen and the plurality of feed rolls disposed about the platen.

For convenience, the invention will be described as applied to one of the feed roll mechanisms that are disposed for coaction with the platen of an electric typewriter, it being understood nevertheless that without departing from the scope of the invention that subject feed roll mechanism construction is applicable to other feed roll mechanisms of such electric typewriter platen, to the feed roll mechanisms of standard or non-electric typewriters, and to feed roll mechanisms of other business machines such as calculators, teletypewriters, etc.

With reference to FIG. 1, the number 21 generally designates a carriage mounted for right and left movement with respect to the main frame 23 of a typewriter 25. A platen '27, rotatably journalled in a pair of end plates 29 and 31 disposed respectively at each end of carriage 21, is provided with a pair of platen twirling knobs 33 and 35 disposed adjacent end plates 29 and 31 respectively and adapted for hand manipulation by the machine operator to effect a rotative movement of platen 27.

A paper bail 41 (FIG. 1), disposed on carriage 21, cooperates with platen 27 to position a worksheet, or a manifold of worksheets and interleaved carbons, at a work station 43 for coaction with a plurality of character bearing instrumentalities 45 which are impacted thereagainst, in response to actuation of corresponding keys of the typewriter (not shown), to effect printing of selected characters upon said Worksheet or manifold.

A feed roll 51 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4), of a feed roll mechanism 53, cooperates with platen 27 to grip said worksheet or manifold therebetween and feed same to and through work-station 43. Feed roll 51 is formed from firm but resilient material such as hard rubber with an uninterrupted surface having a substantially uniform outside diameter and an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of platen 27.

A cross shaft 55 (FIGS. 3 and 4), rotatably mounting feed roll 51, has the left end thereof journalled in a recess 57 (FIG. 4) formed in a left end support 59 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and the right end thereof journalled in a similar recess (not shown) formed in a right end support 61 (FIG. 1). A pivot shaft 63, pivotally mounting left end support 59, is carried by a pair of spaced standards 65 (FIGS. 2 and 4) and 67 (FIGS. 2 and 3) disposed on a frame member 69 of carriage 21. A leaf type spring 75 (FIGS. 2 and 4) having one end thereof engaging left end support 59 and the other end thereof secured to frame member 69 as at 77 (FIG. 2) urges left end support 59 in the clockwise direction (FIG; 4) about pivot shaft 63. Right end support 61 (FIG. 1) is similar in appearance to left end support 59, is pivotally mounted in a manner similar to that of left end support 59, and is urged in the appropriate direction by a leaf type spring similar to that acting on left end support 59. Detailed illustration of right end support 61 has therefore been omitted since such illustration is obviously unnecessary in view of the detailed illustration of left end support 59. Left end support 59 and right end support 61, due to the spring bias thereon, resiliently urge the outer surface of feed roll 51 into engagement with the outer surface of platen 27.

A control shaft 81 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) rotatably journalled in standards 65 (FIG. 2) and 67 (FIGS. 2 and 3) has formed thereon a cam fiat 83 disposed for coaction with a control arm 85 formed on left end support 59. A similar control arm (not shown) formed on right end support 61 is disposed for coaction with another carn flat (not shown) formed on control shaft 81. Partial rota tion of control shaft 81 results in engagement of cam flats 83 with control arms to rock same and their respective supports 59 and 61 in the counterclockwise direction (FIG. 4) about pivot shaft 63 and against the bias of their respective springs 75 to either reduce the degree of pressure between fee-d roll 51 and platen 27 and/ or move the surface of feed roll 51 away from the surface of platen 27.

An auxiliary support 101 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), also pivota-lly carried by pivot shaft 63 (FIGS. 2 and 3), has formed therewith a mounting portion 103. A short shaft 105, which as shown in the drawing is of lesser length than the cylindrical surface of long feed roll 51 and is fixedly secured in mounting portion 103 of auxiliary support 101, has .rotatably disposed adjacent each end thereof a support roller 107. A leaf type spring 109 (FIGS. 2 and 3) having one end thereof in engagement with aum'liary support 101 and the other end thereof fixedly secured to frame 69 of carriage 21 as at 111 (FIG. 2) urges auxiliary support 101 in the counterclockwise direction about pivot shaft 63 (FIG. 3) urging support rollers 107 into engagement with feed roller 51 and feed roller 51 into engagement with platen 27. A control arm 113 (FIG. '3) formed on auxiliary support 101 and disposed for coaction with a cam flat 115 formed on control shaft 81 responds to rotation of control shaft 81, as .hereinbefore described, to effect pivotal movement of auxiliary support 101 in the clockwise direction about pivot shaft 63 (FIG. 3) and thus reduce the bias of support rollers 107 upon feed roll 51 to thereby either reduce the degree of pressure between feed roll 51 and platen 27 and/or permit movement of the surface of feed roll 51 away from the surface of platen 27 due to the action of end support 59 and 61 thereon.

No matter how accurate the manufacturing process, some feed rolls 51 will be warped, bent, or have surface irregularities therein. Such warpage, bending or surface irregularities may be small or even imperceptible to the naked eye, however, they will still affect the distribution of pressure forces between feed roll 51 and platen 27. Auxiliary support 101 acts on feed roll 51 to compensate for said aforementioned warpage, bending and surface irregularities; whether they appear in feed roll 51 when initially installed in typewriters 25 or whether they develop in feed roll 51 through continued use in typewriter 25. Auxiliary support 101, furthermore, coacts with left end support 59 and right end support 61 to engage feed roll 51 with platen 27 in such a manner that the pressures developed therebetween are distributed in a substantially uniform manner along the entire line of contact of roller 51 With platen 27 having a cylindrical surface of predetermined length as shown in the drawing.

Even though auxiliary support 101 has been shown with a pair of support rollers 107 mounted thereon, if only one roller 107 will SUflIC to develop a proper distribution of pressure force-s then the other roller 107 may be dispensed with. In addition only one auxiliary support 101 has been shown since, as illustrated, feed roll 51 is of average axial length; however, additional auxiliary supports 101 may be employed as the axial length of feed roll 51 increases if such additional auxiliary supports 101 are required to maintain a proper and uniform distribution of pressure forces between feed roll 51 and platen 27. Furthermore although auxiliary support 101 has been shown (FIG. 1) nearly centered between the ends of feed roll 51, it may or may not be so positioned but may be positioned at any convenient location between the ends of feed roll 51 as long as the pressure forces remain properly and uniformly distributed. If plural auxiliary supports 101 are utilized they may be spaced in any convenient manner consistent with the teachings herein.

Only one feed mechanism 53 has been shown disposed for cooperation with platen 27. In actual use a plurality of feed mechanisms, constru-ctedas hereinbefore described, may be disposed about platen 27 each with the axis or rotation of their feed roll 51 parallel to the axis of rotation of platen 27 and each With the surface of their feed roll 51 in engagement with the surface of platen 27.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the feed roll 151 is accompanied by another feed roll 251, both of axial dimension substantially equal to the axial dimension of the platen 27. Rear feed roll 151 has end supports 159 and a pluralityof auxiliary supports 201, 202 and 203 each with a pair of support rollers 207 spaced from each other and along the feed roll length between its end supports. Front feed roll 251 has end supports 259 and a plurality of auxiliary supports 301, 302 and 303, each with a pair of support rollers 307, each pair evenly spaced along the axial length of feed roll 251.

Auxiliary support 202 is mounted on pivot shaft 163, which is like aforedescribed shaft 63 carried by a pair of standards 165 on carriage 169, and is disposed at the center of the single feed roll 151. Auxiliary support 302 is likewise mounted on shaft 163 on platen carriage 169 and is disposed at the longitudinal center of the single, full length roll 251.

Short mounting shafts 205, which are of lesser length than roll 151 and are secured in mounting portions of auxiliary supports 201, 202 and 203, have rotatably disposed at each end thereof a support roller 207; similarly, short shafts 305, which are of lesser length than roll 251 and are secured in supports 301, 302, and 303, have at each end a support roller 307.

Feed roll shaft 155 is rotatably carried in end supports 159; shaft 255 is carried in supports 259. Each pair of end supports is carried by pivot shaft 163 which also carries all of the intermediate supports. Each end support 159 is biased counterclockwise by one end of leaf spring 175, the other end of which is secured to carriage frame 169, having mounted thereon another pair of leaf springs 275 biasing end supports 259 clockwise.

Support-s 201, 202 and 203 are biased by individual leaf springs 209 each having an end secured on frame 169 which has secured thereon leaf springs 309 each biasing a support 301, 302 and 303..

Control shaft 481 has various cam flats 483 for coacting with the control arms of supports 159, 201, 202 and 203. The shaft 481 has various other cam flats 485 for coacting with the control arms of supports 259, 301, 302 and 303. Shaft 481 acts to reduce and/or remove the feed roll pressures.

In summation feed roll 51 of one embodiment, and feed rolls 151 and 251 of the other embodiment, each is formed so as to present to platen 27 a surface uniformly in contact therewith, and is supported at and intermediate the ends thereof by means engaging same with platen 27 so as to establish a substantially uniform distribution of pressure between feed roll 51, or rolls 151 and 251, and platen 27. A Worksheet, or manifold, to be fed between platen 2'7 and feed roll 51 (FIGS. 1 to 4) or between platen 27 and feed rolls 151 and 251 (FIGS. 5 to 7) and thereby to workstation 43 is therefore gripped evenly across the surface thereof thus minimizing the possibility of wrinkles developing therein.

From the above description it will thus be seen that a novel and improved feed roll mechanism has been provided for cooperation with the platen of a business machine in feeding a worksheet or manifold to and through a workstation; which feed roll mechanism utilizes a single feed roll with an uninterrupted outer surface having an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of the platen and which is resiliently urged into engagement with the surface of the platen by a plurality of support means such that there is a uniform distribution of engagement pressure between said feed roll and platen along the entire line of contact of one with the other.

It will be understood that although we have shown the preferred form of our invention that various modificatrons may be made in the details thereof without departmg from its spirit as comprehended by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A worksheet feed mechanism for a business machine such as a typewriter or the like comprising:

(a) a platen having a cylindrical surface of predetermined length;

(b) means mounting said platen for rotation about an axis passing through the center thereof;

(0) feed roll means including (1) a feed roll having a cross shaft and a single uninterrupted surface disposed between the ends of said shaft, said surface being a cylindrical feed roll surface of resilient material having a substantially uniform diameter and a length substantially equal to said length of said platen surface,

(2) means mounting said feed roll for rotation about another axis passing through the center thereof in parallel with said platen axis, said feed roll mounting means having (i) a first roll support engaging one end of said feed roll cross shaft,

(ii) a second roll support engaging the other end of said feed roll cross shaft, and

(iii) at least one other roll support engaging said feed roll surface and having rolling contact at a feed roll surface portion axially spaced from and intermediate said cross shaft ends, and

(3) a plurality of means each acting on a different one of each of said roll supports for yieldably urging said feed roll toward said platen axis, said feed roll urging means coacting with said supports to provide a uniform longitudinal distribution of pressure along the contacting portions of said platen and feed roll surfaces and whereby a Worksheet placed between said platen and feed roll surfaces is moved without slippage and wrinkling when said platen and said feed roll are rotated.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said feed roll urging means includes a resilient member for each of said roll supports, and wherein said other roll support includes (a) a mounting member carried on said platen mountmg means and engaged by one of said resilient members,

(b) a cylindrical support roller mounted on said mounting member and contacting said intermediate feed roll surface portion to support said feed roll opposite said contacting portions of said platen and feed roll surfaces.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said other roll support includes a roller shaft mounting a pair of said support rollers spaced from each other axially and rotatively mounted on .the opposite ends of said roller shaft carried on said mounting member.

4. A mechanism for feeding a worksheet in a typewriter and the like having a platen carriage and comprising:

(a) a cylindrical platen of redetermined length rotatably disposed on said carriage;

(b) a pivot shaft mounted on said carriage;

(c) a feed roll having a single uninterrupted surface of resilient material having a cylindrical configuration of a length substantially equal to the length of said platen;

(d) a cross shaft rotatably mounting said feed roll, said feed roll surface being disposed between the left and right ends of said cross shaft;

(e) a left end support pivotally mounted on said pivot shaft and rotatably mounting said left end of said cross shaft;

(f) a right end support pivotally mounted on said pivot shaft and rotatably mounting said right end of said cross shaft;

(g) an auxiliary support pivotally mounted at one end on said pivot shaft and substantially centered between said cross shaft ends;

(h) a roller shaft of lesser length than said feed roll and fixedly carried on the opposite end of said auxiliary support;

(i) a pair of support rollers axially spaced apart from each other and form said cross shaft ends and rotatably carried on the ends of said roller shaft, said support rollers having surfaces engaged with axially spaced portions of said feed roll surface; and

(j) a plurality of leaf springs each having one end thereof fixed to said platen carriage, a first one of said leaf springs having the other end thereof biased into engagement with said left end support, a second of said leaf springs having the other end thereof biased into engagement with said right end support, and a third one of said springs having the other end thereof biased into engagement with said auxiliary support,

said leaf springs coacting with said feed roll supports and through said auxiliary support with said support rollers to urge said feed roll surface toward said platen and provide a uniform distribution of pressure along portions of said platen and said roll surface in one uninterrupted contact for moving said worksheet between said platen and said feed roll surface uniformly. 5. The business machine of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of said other roll supports auxiliary to said first and second supports and disposed in spaced relationship with respect to each other mounted on said platen mounting means, said other supports each coacting With a different surface portion of said feed roll to resiliently urge said feed roll into contact with said cylindrical platen surface.

6. The typewriter of claim 4 wherein a plurality of auxiliary supports and support rollers are evenly spaced along the axial length of said feed roll surface.

'7. The typewriter of claim 4 wherein a plurality of feed rolls are disposed about said cylindrical platen each with its axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical platen and each with the feed roll surface thereof in resilient engagement with the surface of said cylindrical platen along an uninterrupted line of contact substantially coextensive With said length of said cylindrical platen.

References (Jilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 763,165 6/1904 Dorman 197138 790,272 5/1905 Barron 197-438 933,048 9/1909 Barr 197138.5 X 1,280,678 10/1918 Clamecy 197-127 1,453,582 5/1923 Armstrong 197-138 1,913,753 6/1933 Going 197138 2,057,981 10/1936 Rowland et al. 197-438 FOREIGN PATENTS 426,605 4/ 1935 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

DAVID KLEIN, Examiner.

E, T. WRIGHT, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A WORKSHEET FEED MECHANISM FOR A BUSINESS MACHINE SUCH AS A TYPEWRITER OR THE LIKE COMPRISING: (A) A PLATEN HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH; (B) MEANS MOUNTING SAID PLATEN FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER THEREOF; (C) FEED ROLL MEANS INCLUDING (1) A FEED ROLL HAVING A CROSS SHAFT AND A SINGLE UNINTERRUPTED SURFACE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT, SAID SURFACE BEING A CYLINDRICAL FEED ROLL SURFACE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DIAMETER AND A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO SAID LENGTH OF SAID PLATEN SURFACE, (2) MEANS MOUNTING SAID FEED ROLL FOR ROTATION ABOUT ANOTHER AXIS PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER THEREOF IN PARALLEL WITH SAID PLATEN AXIS, SAID FEED ROLL MOUNTING MEANS HAVING (I) A FIRST ROLL SUPPORT ENGAGING ONE END OF SAID FEED ROLL CROSS SHAFT, (II) A SECOND ROLL SUPPORT ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF SAID FEED ROLL CROSS SHAFT, AND (III) AT LEAST ONE OTHER ROLL SUPPORT ENGAGING SAID FEED ROLL SURFACE AND HAVING ROLLING CONTACT AT A FEED ROLL SURFACE PORTION AXIALLY SPACED FROM AND INTERMEDIATE SAID CROSS SHAFT ENDS, AND (3) A PLURALITY OF MEANS EACH ACTING ON A DIFFERENT ONE OF EACH OF SAID ROLL SUPPORTS FOR YIELDABLY URGING SAID FEED ROLL TOWARD SAID PLATEN AXIS, SAID FEED ROLL URGING MEANS COACTING WITH SAID SUPPORTS TO PROVIDE A UNIFORM LONGITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRESSURE ALONG THE CONTACTING PORTIONS OF SAID PLATEN AND FEED ROLL SURFACES AND WHEREBY A WORKSHEET PLACED BETWEEN SAID PLATEN AND FEED ROLL SURFACE IS MOVED WITHOUT SLIPPAGE AND WRINKLING WHEN SAID PLATEN AND SAID FEED ROLL ARE ROTATED. 